Alarm systems are often used to warn users of dangerous conditions. For example, in response to dangers such as smoke, fire, carbon monoxide, or security breaches, an alarm system can notify users through auditory and/or visual warnings. Thus, the user is alerted to the situation, and can take an appropriate course of action in response.
In some cases, an alarm system can communicate with a remote entity (e.g., an emergency responder or a central station that dispatches emergency responders) via a communications module (e.g., a digital alarm communicator transmitter, or DACT). As an example, an alarm system can include a communications module that establishes a connection via wired telephone line, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection, or a cellular connection.
In many cases, each of the components of an alarm system are connected via a common data bus. For example, an alarm system can include a control panel, a communications module, one or more sensors, and one or more keypads, each interconnected via a common data bus. Use of a common data bus provides a single point of failure. For example, localized damage at one of the components (e.g., due to fire or tampering by an intruder at one of the keypads or sensors) can damage the common data bus, resulting in total disruption of communications between each of the components. As a result, the alarm system may be unable to communicate with the remote entity, despite that fact that its communications module remains intact.